Oliver Harvey, Chief Feature Writer
St Helier, Jersey
Updated: May 7 2021, 0:26 ET
Oliver Harvey, Chief Feature Writer
St Helier, Jersey
Invalid Date,
APPEARING out of the gloom soon after 4.30am, the armada of French fishing boats was ready “to restage Trafalgar”.
Shadowing them was the might of Britain’s Royal Navy HMS Tamar and HMS Severn primed with cannon and machine guns.
9
9
9
A member of the Jersey Militia re-enactment group appeared on the ramparts of St Helier’s 16th Century Elizabeth Castle
Then, at around 6am, the French made their move.
Amid swirling smoke from red flares and proudly flying the French tricolour, the ragtag 60-strong flotilla made for Jersey’s St Helier harbour and pluckily blockaded the port.
Tensions flare between France and UK over Brexit fishing rules in English Channel Published May 6
Fishing vessels at sea off the coast of Jersey, Thursday, May 6, 2021. French fishermen angry over loss of access to waters off their coast have gathered their boats in protest off the English Channel island of Jersey. The head of a grouping of Normandy fishermen said about 50 boats from French ports joined the protest Thursday morning and gathered their fleet off the Jersey port of St. Helier. (Oliver Pinel via AP)
Share on Facebook
Print article LONDON British Royal Navy vessels and French police boats patrolled Thursday near the English Channel island of Jersey, where French fishermen angry about losing access to its waters gathered for a maritime protest.
1 of 15
French fishing vessels block the port of St Helier in Jersey, Thursday, May 6, 2021. French fishermen angry over loss of access to waters off their coast have gathered their boats in protest off the English Channel island of Jersey. The head of a grouping of Normandy fishermen said about 50 boats from French ports joined the protest Thursday morning and gathered their fleet off the Jersey port of St. Helier.
Gary Grimshaw
In this grab taken from video from the Balliwick Express, a view of various French fishing vessels at sea off the port of St Helier in Jersey, Thursday, May 6, 2021. French fishermen angry over loss of access to waters off their coast have gathered their boats in protest off the English Channel island of Jersey. The head of a grouping of Normandy fishermen said about 50 boats from French ports joined the protest Thursday morning and gathered their fleet off the Jersey port of St. Helier.
Jill Lawless and John Leicester04:33, May 07 2021
Vessels from Britain s Royal Navy and French police boats patrolled Thursday (local time) near the English Channel island of Jersey, where French fishermen angry about losing access to its waters gathered for a maritime protest. The irate mariners set off flares and entered the island s main harbour, in the first major dispute between France and Britain over fishing rights in the wake of Brexit. The European Union appealed for calm, but also accused the UK of not respecting the terms of the post-Brexit trade deal agreed to by the two sides. The naval policing boats Athos, which has a large machine gun on its front deck, and the unarmed Themis were sent to keep watch on waters between France and Jersey, French maritime authorities for the English Channel and North Sea said.
The flotilla arrived just as the sun rose across Saint Aubin’s bay. Around 70 fishing vessels, flying the French tricolour and the lions passant of Normandy, descended upon Jersey intent on blockading its port.
Locals described the sight as ‘like the arrival of the Spanish Armada’ as fishermen set off flares and displayed banners proclaiming ‘Jersey Government steals our historical wrights (sic)’.
They had travelled from the French ports of Granville, Carteret and St Malo to protest over French post-Brexit access to Jersey’s waters.
The demonstration was marred by ugly scenes when a 35ft French trawler rammed a British boat.